Rural areas hit by library closures

By Nigel Reynolds, Arts Correspondent

12:01AM GMT 12 Feb 2008

Public libraries in the countryside are closing at a faster rate than in London, it was claimed on Monday night, adding to the decline in the quality of life in rural areas caused by the closure of post offices and schools.

Research by the Liberal Democrats has found that half of the 71 English libraries that closed last year were in the North.

In London, there were five closures, but five new libraries opened. In every other area of the country there was a net loss of public libraries, with the North West losing 10 and the North East seven.

The South West also lost seven and the South East six, according to figures compiled from answers to a series of parliamentary questions.

Don Foster, the Lib Dems spokesman for culture, media and sport, said that the research made a nonsense of the Government's decision to declare 2008 the year of reading.

He said: "On Labour's watch, rural areas are in danger of being cut out of the loop, left behind and marginalised as resources are concentrated elsewhere.

"Ed Balls [the Children's Secretary] told us 2008 was the year of the book. But it seems like this won't be the case for everyone."

Spending on libraries has now reached almost £1 billion a year, up from £662 million in 1997, but book loans have fallen 34 per cent - to 269 million last year - over the same period, according to independent figures published last month by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.

In the past six years the number of people classified as "active borrowers" in Britain has fallen from 17.2 million to 13 million.

Library visits have remained static over the last three years, at around 288 million. This is almost certainly because visitors are increasingly using the internet in libraries and borrowing DVDs instead of books.

Sales of books, however, have been increasing. A record £1.8 billion was spent on books in 2007, six per cent up on the previous year.